THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, March 18: Management of rescued wildlife is quite delicate. Deer are most often rescued here in PTR. However, not many know how to handle a rescued deer.
On Sunday, India’s renowned elephant specialist Kushal Konwar Sarma and forensic science expert Wildlife Moonmoon Sarma came.
The Sarmas have their names in wildlife management. On Sunday evening, the two spent a few hours interacting with the tiger reserve officials here at Betla National Park. It was a highly useful session. Every word that the Sarmas spoke was an experience for the young forest guards and PTR personnel.
P K Jena, deputy director of the north division of PTR, brought the two here from Ranchi. Jena was ably supported in this mission by his field director, Kumar Ashutosh.
Tips to handle deer in distress
Jena told this correspondent, “Deer is rescued very often. This wildlife remains in capture shock. Sarma gave us tips for treating such a rescued deer.”
“Love and care are the first things to be shown to the rescued deer. Its heartbeat should be noticed. Eyes should be closed with loving hands. The rescued deer should be kept in a dark room for some time. It should be given water,” said Jena, quoting Sarma.
Dogs attack and bite deer. Such a condition is quite common. The rescue time and the treatment time are big and wide. And here the risk of life to deer gets enormous.
Sarma suggested medicines for such deer in distress. Medicines have to be kept in all readiness.
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Similarly, preservation of the viscera of wildlife is very important. Its preservation can’t be haphazard. It has to be in a set protocol.
Care for elephant
Sarma did discuss the issue of human-elephant conflict. It’s a perennial problem.
Jena reminded, “Several methods have been going on for decades to minimise this conflict. Did we not go for EPT, which is an elephant-proof trench? Elephants have learnt how to negotiate it. We went for solar fencing. Elephants have learnt its dynamics, too. Elephants outwit us more. They are 300 times more advanced than we human beings.”
During their brief stay at Betla National Park, the Sarmas had ‘good standing with the 4 captive elephants here’.
Sarma inquired about the diet of these 4 captive elephants, who also suffer from bowel distention like human beings. The elephant specialist suggested medicine in case these captive elephants have bouts of loose motion or gaseous condition.
Sarma asked for a dung test to know the parasitic effects on the bodies of the captive elephants.
The Haathi k Saathi spoke to the Mahaouwats. Jena said, “It was a good exposure of our ground staff to such a hugely experienced wildlife expert, Sarma.”
Two PTR vets to receive training in Guwahati
Jena had a word of praise for the Sarmas, who asked the PTR people to seek their help online for the wildlife. He said, “It’s a noble gesture of the two which the PTR will find as most precious and valuable since wildlife here is our extended family.”
Dr Jabbar and Dr Sunil, the two hired vets here with the PTR, will be sent to Sarmas in Assam’s Guwahati for training modalities, which will be prepared very soon.
Sedating a wild animal is a big task. It has its own intricacies and risks. Sarma asked for caution.
Jena conceded that not much research has been done to find out animal behaviour and how it is changing.
Elephants here drink Mahua wine! A Jersey cow was claimed to have killed and chewed a python snake in Daltonganj!
Such bizarre episodes also call for extensive study/research on animal food and behaviour.
